The Fall
by Rayzl-KB
Summary: First time, submitting one of my stories, criticism welcomed. It's about the fall of Ben Solo, and set in a time before the Force Awakens.
CHAPTER 1:

Deep in the forests of the uninhabited Planet Odessen, in an ancient ruined military base carved out of the side of the mountain, Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker meditated in his silent chambers, communicating with the Force. Odessen was an odd planet completely balanced in the force, favoring neither the dark or light side, and all evidence and relics of the past around showed without a doubt that this was where Jedi and Sith both used to train side by side in unison. The Planet was made known to him by his old masters who were now one with the force and have been guiding him since the fall of the Empire. This is what made the young Jedi master based his New Jedi temple and had began training new padawans in the way of the Force.

Many years have passed since then, there were a handful of jedi masters now teaching dozens of young padawans who were barely learning the focus required to make a small rock float. The Force had suffered the day Luke Skywalker's Father, Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side, but through the years, it has been healing, soon with the help of Luke Skywalker's New Jedi order, the Force was once more ready to become a dominant power for Good and Sanity in the Galaxy. However not all had gone precisely as planned since the defeat of the emperor. The fall of the empire had left a power void and while the new republic tried to take hold, splinter groups all over the galaxy had begun rioting and fighting wars. Whole planets were burning in chaos and agony. and one young promising Jedi could feel it. His Uncle Luke had trained him to keep the force at bay, but sometimes the pain of the galaxy would tear through him. Filling him with emotion and anger. Ben Solo, Son of the legendary smuggler Han Solo and General Leia Skywalker, with the wits of a smuggler, blood of Skywalker, attuned to the force in a way few others could boast. He was posed to be a powerful force for good and yet he was crippled. He struggled to do even the basic of jedi exercises. His focus on keeping the pain of the galaxy away always took the priority. It was a burden that he carried, his Uncle, his Father, his mother, they all tried to help him, but they couldn't understand, they couldn't feel it. Billions and billions of people across the galaxy, filled with hatred and greed, sorrow and jealousy. It was too much. Ben would lose his temper often rushing out of the jedi temple in frustration to lose himself in the woods. And it was on one of those nights that everything changed.

Ben held his head in his hands as he sat between the roots of a massive tree, tightening his grip on his forehead hoping to crush the pain away, but it felt more intense than ever tonight. His mouth was open screaming, but no sound came, the pain was unbearable. He began pounding his head over and over, anger taking hold of him, he began to bloody his fists on to the tree as he pounded away. finally collapsing down on his knees he wept before he felt a sudden chill in the air that he had not noticed. Standing up while wiping his tears away he looked around the darkness that seemed darker than he had ever seen before, and it was getting darker still. Ben stared at the clearing, his hand reaching for his training sword as all the darkness in the forest began to converge into a spot, and slowly, a figure emerged from it, a tall boney figure, a skull-like face, draped in a black cloak shimmering in the night, but there was something else. The dark side of the force seemed to move around him, like fingers gripping on the floor towards ben as the boney figure closed in on Ben Solo.

"Sith!" Ben exclaimed, as he pulled out his training sword in the classical Shii-Cho fighting style. Stiffening his quivering lip, steadying his shaking hands , he braced himself, then lunged. The figure dodged the padawans attack with ease, gliding to the side as Ben attacked into empty space, Wildly swinging his sword at the enemy, the dark side of the force rushed to it's masters side. with barely a raise of his finger the sith had disarmed the young padawan and slammed him onto a tree, his throat beginning to crush as the force choked him before finally releasing Ben as he slammed into the ground, a few of his bones breaking.

"Master.. Master Luke will.." Ben Stammered as he tried to catch his breath, but was cut off by the coldest voice he had ever heard, a voice dripping with the dark side of the force, that chilled his bones, freezing Ben's words in his throat.

"You know nothing child.. and neither does your master!" the figure bent low, as gravity itself bent around him, as the force sat young Ben up so the little padawan was face to face with this Master of the dark side.

"I am not here to hurt you child, I'm here to free you. I have.. I have sensed the pain you are in, it has called out to me, and i've come, from beyond the edge of this universe. I've come to free you of this burden." With that Young Ben felt his bones snap into place, brutally but a sudden warmth in his body he felt revitalized,

"Thank..thank you.."

Ignoring Ben, the tall figure rose up and walked to the edge of the forest towards a nearby cliff, Ben stood up and for some unknown reason followed the figure.

Standing above the cliff, Ben looked tiny next to the tall boney figure, the dark side of the Force emanating from the sith now wrapping around Ben too, powerful enough to not only cover the boy but to almost flowing off the cliff in the wind.

"the new Jedi temple.. built from the old ruins of a forgotten time..." The sith begun to talk while gazing over the forests to the mountain that housed the new Jedi temple. "You know what they are doing there? don't you child? meditation, trying to find their inner peace." There was an underlying anger in his voice, that Ben felt akin too. "While the galaxy burns!"

"They turn a blind eye to it, all they care about is their inner peace. tell me child.. what do you think of this ..injustice!" The dark master spat.

Ben felt an anger grow from inside him, one he constantly struggled to keep at bay "they.. we are growing stronger.. we are growing, so we can bring order into the galaxy once we are strong"

The sith laughed, a wicked slow laugh, "do you really believe that Ben Solo?"

Ben's eyes widened "Who..who are you? ..and ..how..how do you know me?"

The sith for the first time, turned to face Ben. "I've had many names through the ages, but... my name is Snoke."

CHAPTER 2:

The wind howled through the leaves in the trees, rushing by the two figures standing on a cliff. A young boy by the name of Ben Solo, and a tall hooded figure by the name of Snoke. the dark side of the force still wrapped around them moving with the wind as it drifted off the cliff.

"I can help you with your burden Ben, if you'll let me" Snoke broke the silence,

Ben stood silently, not knowing how to answer, that underlying pain of the galaxy tugging at him, his heart aching, his brain thundering, He tried to shut it out, but it engulfed him, tears began to pour from his eyes, Ben felt his knees grow weak and shake from his weight,

Snoke spoke "Let me show you something better!" and quicker than Ben could react, Snoke slammed his palm against Ben's forehead, a searing pain and heat overtook the boy.

Ben Solo stood on the roads on the Planet Coruscant, an angry mob gathered in the streets, raising their fists and blaster rifles, screaming obscenities as they charged and looted and shot everything in their path.

Ben Solo stood in the farmlands of Balmorra, where guerilla warfare had broken out, soldiers firing at each other from trenches, a lone teenage girl cried in the middle as a stray blaster bolt went through her head, ending her crying.

Ben Solo stood on the planet of Corellia, massive fighter tanks drove down the street, firing massive blasts at the towering walkers that fired back viciously. Huge skyscrapers collapsed all around them as stray blasts exploded around them.

Another planet, more war and more riots, another planet again, same, children dying, starving, hiding, burning, every planet, every species in extreme upheaval from riots to outright war. Ben Solo stood in the middle of all of this, tears pouring from his eyes, before a voice.. Snoke spoke out.

"and then, there was order!"

Ben Solo stood on the roads on the Planet Coruscant, the angry mob were lowering their weapons, a look of panic and fear in their eyes. A shadow cast upon them, a subtle heavy breathing could be heard. kroookhhh ahhhh... kroookhhh ahhhh... kroookhhh ahhh. Darth Vader stepped into the scene, his unique black mask and armor walking solemly down the streets as a group of stormtroopers followed him. A stray blaster bolt shot from the riot and flew at the Dark Lords head, a blazing red lightsaber emerged as Darth Vader deflected the bolt with ease, then with his command of the force lifted the would be murderer and slammed him into the ground. Kroookhhh ahhh.. kroookhhh ahhhh.. the mob subsided, they threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Ben Solo stood in the farmlands of Balmorra. where an imperial dreadnaught could be seen in the sky hovering over the planet. kroookhhh ahhhh... kroookhhh ahhhh... kroookhhh ahhh.. Darth Vader walked among the trenches with his envoy of stormtroopers, the Balmorran armies surrendered, kneeling before the mighty Dark Lord with their hands behind their heads. As parents rushed out from their hiding places to lift their dead sons and daughters off the battlefield. Darth Vader looked on, in peace.

Ben Solo stood on the planet of Corellia, once again Darth Vader appeared crushing the walkers and tanks with the power of the force, mighty lightsaber blows ended the war decisively, stormtroopers following through bringing order and security to the planet.

Another planet, more war and more riots, quenched fast and hard by Darth Vader, The ending of all the killing, all the starving. Bringing out everyone who hid into the light, the fires put out as imperial dreadnaughts flew into low orbit around the planet. Darth Vader standing triumphantly, as Snoke spoke again

Ben Solo was on his knees on the cliff, his head sweaty from the experience, breathing heavily. "Darth Vader...Anakin..fell ...to..the..dark..side" He remembered the stories that his parents would talk about.

Snoke spoke softy "Darth Vader brought order to a galaxy in chaos. Along with his master he brought peace to countless planets and ruled for over 2 decades, and yes. He did all that from the dark side."

"but grandfather turned, he defeated ...Palpatine, he came back to the light to free the galaxy."

Snoke looked back to the Jedi Temple, "At the behest of his son, Family.. its a strong bond, and the lightside..manipulates that to make you do.. horrible things. Tell me Child, is the galaxy better ? You saw how it was under your grandfathers rule, and you feel how it is now, Did your grandfather set the galaxy free by betraying his master for his son? Or did he condemn the galaxy to suffering in his moment of weakness.. of love..for his child?"

Ben Solo dragged himself up to his feet, standing besides the hooded Snoke, engulfed by Snoke's dark side prescence. "He condemned it.."

Snoke smiled "ah, but it is not his fault. The lightside is a master manipulator in our galaxy, but it is necessary. The galaxy lived in peace for two decades cause your grandfather battled with the dark and the light. He had a balance of both sides which gave him a mastery over his domain, and unstoppable against all who faced him."

Ben looked up at the Snoke noticing for the first time Snoke's badly damaged face. "You.. you are no Sith"

"I've been many things, Child." Snoke replied.

Chapter 3:

Ben Solo stood on the cliff next to Snoke. It was a chilly night, but the dark side force cloak that emanated from Snoke kept them both warm. It had gone quiet, Ben finding his courage spoke first.

"I have to leave this place.. there's nothing here for me anymore" The words sounded foreign as they escaped from Bens mouth, He wasn't half sure if that's what he meant to say at all when he opened his mouth, but those were the words that came out.

"I need order in this Galaxy, trying to find inner peace while the galaxy burns at my core, is just stupid" Ben's words were just seeping out of his mouth through pursed lips as he felt the familiar anger rise up inside him once again.

"I will bring order to the chaos, like my grandfather before me!" Ben declared,

Ben's anger was boiling over as he began an unstoppable rant on the jedi way and declaring himself to Snoke, a red hue began to mix into Snoke's force cloak tarnishing it for but a moment.

Luke Skywalker opened his eyes, woken by a Ben's anger, and then it was gone, silent again. Luke closed his eyes again, searching through the Force for Ben, but finding only silence, Luke focused more, reaching out with the force, through the Temple, out to the forests, through the trees, up on the mountains, rushing through a cliff, back into the forests, then stopping, focusing back to the cliff. Nothing, No force can be sensed, just pure emptiness. Too empty. Something is shielding it...

Luke reached out with his hand, as his lightsaber flew into it from its resting place, pushing it into his robe, as he rushed out of his meditation chamber.

Snoke felt Luke finding him, and turned to Ben

"Then we must act, your uncle is coming!"

Ben stared at Snoke, "what must I do?"

"Free yourself from the chains of light, Go into the Jedi Temple and kill everyone there. Show me your dedication to Order, Show me you have the strength to do what is necessary. The dark side is your ally, The pain of the galaxy will give you strength. Let it flow through you, let you consume you, and use your full power on the Jedi so we may bring about the New Order!"

Ben took off, letting his emotions run wild, tears flew off from his eyes, evaporating in heat as he ran down the cliff, and into the forest towards the Jedi temple. Allowing the walls he had built to hold the galaxy away to crumble, closing his eyes and allowing everything engulf him, the death, the suffering, the hate, the anger; all of it overwhelming him, but it didn't stop him. He thought of his uncle, his parents, the jedi, the younglings, how they all will never understand what galaxy and he was going through, and he channeled it, he channeled all the rage, and fear, and sorrow, the pain of the galaxy itself into pure unadulterated hate towards the Jedi, and he felt a power grow from within, as more and more of the walls inside him crumbled his power began to grow and grow as he ran straight to the Jedi temple, with just one blind intent. To kill.

Chapter 4:

Snoke watched from the cliff as the Young Ben Solo ran down into the forest. He could feel The Jedi Master actions and knew time was short. Ben Solo had an incredible power sleeping within him, but he was no match for all the denizens of the Jedi Temple. So Snoke closed his eyes, and reached out with the force.

Luke Skywalker was almost to the grand temple doors, when they burst open with force, A dark side force energy rushed into the temple, breaking every defense that the Jedi had put up over the years. Luke barely managed to bring a force barrier in defense. The dark side force slammed into him and pushed him against the far wall, as it began to spread into every corridor and every room to every Jedi Master, and every padawan, and every youngling.

Snoke pursed his lips and began to suck in.

Immediately the dark side force changed, becoming more sinister, losing the forcefulness of the first attack, and instead became this invisible energy that invaded and absorbed all force around it.

Luke felt his barrier weaken and disappear, as it got absorbed into Snoke's power.

Luke looked into bewilderment as he felt the dark side envelope him and begin to pull out the force from him.

All around the Jedi temple, the jedi, masters and padawans alike were bent over in anguish as their force was pulled out of them. Luke Skywalker closed his eyes, calmed himself of his bewilderment, he focused, he relaxed, he purged himself of all the dark side energy. Focused even more, and followed the trail back to Snoke.

Luke opened his eyes, He knew now Snoke was not merely absorbing all force energy of the jedi, but the very life force of the planet, leaves from the trees grayed out and fell as the mighty trees died, the great beasts that roamed the wilds were withering to death, the padawans..

Luke rushed back to through the corridors into the training room where everyone had gathered, the few jedi masters were trying to help, but were bent over trying to combat the alien force from killing them, and could spare no effort to help the little ones who barely had any control over the force as their life energy was sucked out of them. Luke rushed in, casting barriers on each young padawan and jedi master to protect them from Snoke's devastating attack.

Barriers seemed useless as they began to crush and collapse in the face of Snoke's onslaught, The jedi masters were able to sustain the barriers with Luke's help and protect themselves, but the padawans began to wither as they were lifted into the air and their life and force was sucked out of them. Luke Skywalker focused more on the padawans, sending barrage after barrage of light force power at the younglins fighting all the invisible force tentacles that enwrapped the young ones. The Jedi masters were on the floor withering too, but barely keeping Snoke's attack at bay, with Luke's power helping them. The padawans were dying, Luke's strength was stretched to its limit, he could not shield all of them, the younglings were going to die. Tears formed in Luke's eyes. He screamed "Nooo!" as he concentrated all his power on the padawans, all his force energy into a single point in the very fiber of their beings, and made the force explode! A massive shockwave rushed out of each padawan, tearing through Snoke's attack and ending the onslaught.

Luke collapsed onto the floor, exhausted, with tears in his eyes, holding his head in his hands. The jedi masters pulled themselves up to their feet and looked around, the children.. The children were alive, but their connection the force was gone, they looked weak and empty, while they had little or no control over their force abilities, it was still very much a part of them, and to be considered to join Luke Skywalkers new Jedi Order, they were all incredibly strong with the force, and now it was gone. Luke Skywalker had cut off their connection completely in an effort to save their lives.

Snoke smiled with his crooked jaw, his force cloak fading away into the ground, revealing just a small simple cloak, there was no more reason to hide, Ben Solo would reach the Jedi Temple soon, and with the Jedi considerably weakened, Snoke will find out if Ben is strong enough to lead his New Order.

Chapter 5:

Ben stopped in front of the Jedi Temple, in his anger and rush to charge through the forest, he had not noticed all the trees grayed out, how the night itself lost some of its darkness, and missed catching the withered birds that fell from the trees in front of him. Hesitant for a second, a brief moment of calm washed over him, questions of doubt flooded his mind, he became horrified at the thought of what he was about to do.

Ben looked at the temple in reverence before closing his eyes, he began thinking again of the galaxy, he thought of the worlds burning, and how his grandfather had brought order to the chaos. He thought of the massive tanks and walkers stomping through cities as he stood here, fearing for his own soul.

"No more!" Ben exhaled and grabbing his vibrosword walked into the temple with determination. Walking through the temples he witnessed the collapse of the entrance wall where Luke was thrown through just a few moments back. Steeling his nerves with rage, he ran through the corridors down straight to the training room to find the new jedi order. Ben looked around the room, and for the first time it looked clear to him, he saw everything and everyone at once, Luke Skywalker, as well as the other Jedi masters were consoling the younglings, some who were weeping uncontrollably. A couple older padawans looked around in solemn and found their gaze met with Ben. One ran up..

"Ben!, thank the force you're okay, we were..."

She never completed her sentence, Ben pulled his vibrosword from the girl's neck. Everything suddenly seemed slow. Ben noticed the other padawan who had noticed him, contort his face in horror, Luke and the other Jedi masters began to turn after the slow humming of a vibrosword seemed to cut through the air in the room. The padawan, forceless now, felt his scream for help get caught in his throat as he felt it crushed and he collapsed to the floor.

"BEN!" Luke ignited his lightsaber looking incredulously at his nephew Ben solo, who just murdered two defenseless padawans in cold blood. The jedi masters were faster, and sprung to action, lightsabers out, they attacked him. One yelled out "he has falle.."

Ben lifted his hand in anger, a force blast of enormous power erupted from the young untrained padawan, it was as if the entire galaxy had lent him it's strength, sending the weakened Jedi masters flying into the wall. Luke rose up to defend his students, but stopped suddenly in his tracks, his body paralyzed, he had not yet recovered from Snoke's earlier attack, cutting all the padawans from the force had taken its toll, and Luke could do nothing but stare as his nephew closed his fist, crushing the jedi masters into the wall. Ben walked slowly and deliberately towards the young ones, his fist still holding tightly as the Jedi masters were slowly crushed to death, Snokes attack had worked well, rendering these new masters and even the grand master incapable of defending anyone from Ben's rage.

The little ones, all forceless, weak, backed against the wall, some whimpering "please", others pleading with Ben Solo's name, others yet calling for help from their Grandmaster who lay frozen in place. None of them found solace, tears and blood flew through the air as each one was murdered ruthlessly by the fallen Ben Solo. Ben Solo's face was covered in thick blood dripping off his chin, as he faced the last remaining member of the Jedi, Grand Master Luke Skywalker, paralyzed on the stone floor of the Jedi temple, tears streaming from his eyes as he looked up as his nephew approached him, lifted that bloody vibrosword and... stopped.

Ben Solo hesitated, the light side tugging him at him, maybe he can stop it all now, maybe he can spare his Uncle, maybe he can convince his Uncle to join him, maybe.. this was how it all went wrong, maybe this was what Darth Vader thought as he sacrificed peace for his family. He must finish what his grandfather started, a utopia of peace and order in the galaxy, Ben Solo raised his lightsaber, he cannot let the light side prevent him from doing what is necessary, he felt it tugging at him, telling him to put the sword down, but he swung at his uncle's head.

A sharp shearing pain caught Ben in the side, as a series of high and low beeps erupted behind him. Artoo-Detoo , Luke Skywalker's ever faithful astromech droid had arrived. Giving a sharp electric shock into Ben's kidneys, the boy dropped his vibrosword and fell on his back convulsing on the ground. Artoo let out a low boop, and with the help of his many tools including his utility arm, managed to lift up the withered and weak Luke Skywalker over his dome like head, and drove off.

Ben Solo staggered to his feet, the electric shock had made his body numb, he felt a sharp pain in his side as he stood up and limped his way after his uncle and artoo. Ben arrived at the hanger, just as an old X-wing reared its engines and took off at blazing speed. Ben raged, screaming obscenities and smashing everything and anything he could get his hands on. He had failed, failed his grandfather, failed his first mission to bring about the era of peace and order.. Ben clutched his side in pain, and yet felt better than he had ever felt before. He had allowed the pain of the galaxy in, and realized that it was his burden to carry, and with this burden he will fail no more.

Ben Solo walked out of the ruined temple, panting heavily, he looked at the gray skies of this once beautiful planet, and felt pity and sadness, there was no going back now. Ben turned one final time to look at the temple, tears in his eyes, then turned and walked away to find Snoke, and bring about A New Order.


End file.
